John Goodlad isn’t shy about his global education agenda. There is good reason Charlotte Iserbyt in Reagan’s department of education called Goodlad the nation’s “premier change agent” for moving us toward socialism. This is a snapshot of what is currently on Goodlad’s NNER home page as of November 20, 2010. It’s never been more clear what Goodlad stands for.

“Our group used the four dimensions of the Agenda for Education in a Democracy as a framework for our suggestions of important topics and issues to be included in a teacher education program.”

In Alpine School District spokesperson Rhonda Bromley’s recent letter to teachers, legislators, and citizens, she wrote:

“Another concern that has been expressed is in regard to the ‘Moral Dimensions of Teaching.’ Several years ago, all five districts along the Wasatch Front entered into a partnership with BYU called the CITES partnership. The districts included are Alpine, Provo, Nebo, Wasatch, and Jordan. Collectively, the partnership adopted what is called the “Moral Dimensions of Teaching,” and with it, four core values. In recent months some have raised concern about those values. Since last fall, the administrators and Board of Education have changed the way those values are worded because of those concerns.”

If nothing else you have to appreciate the honesty Rhonda displays in admitting that since some people have raised concerns over Goodlad’s Agenda, the district sought to help them out by changing the terminology to make it more palatable, not that the actual intent or Agenda from John Goodlad has changed.

Goodlad wrote in the preface of the book Schooling for a Global Age, pg. xiii-xvii:

“Enlightened social engineering is required to face situations that demand global action now. Education is a long-term solution. … Parents and the general public must be reached also … Otherwise, children and youth enrolled in globally oriented programs may find themselves in conflict with values assumed in the home. And then the educational institution frequently comes under scrutiny and must pull back.”

Better read that a couple times and let it sink in. It makes sense that ASD has followed his instructions and pulled back since parents have exposed Goodlad’s progressive education influence in the education system. It is also obvious from Rhonda’s comments that they aren’t changing what they believe, they’re just trying to hide it. It is utter foolishness to think you can partner with a subversive organization like Goodlad’s and choose what you’ll participate in and not get contaminated. When ASD’s superintendent was on the executive committee for Goodlad’s NNER, he saw these things first hand but took no action to remove ASD from being involved with the organization.

How do we know the involvement in this Agenda is real? There are 4 John Goodlad appointed AED Scholars (Agenda for Education in a Democracy) in Utah. Two at ASD (Superintendent Vern Henshaw and curriculum specialist Barry Graff), another is the director of CITES (Steven Baugh), and the last is a professor at BYU’s McKay School of Education (John Rosenberg). It’s important to realize that awards are given as rewards for outcomes in implementing the Agenda and not given for intent (or else many more would have such scholar designations).

These people have been heavily involved presenting at Goodlad’s conferences over the past decade (example 1, example 2). Steven Baugh was one of the organizers of the 2009 conference. Even if these individuals don’t personally believe all of Goodlad’s teachings, Goodlad trusts them enough with his Agenda to give them scholar status. There are only a total of 30 individuals in the entire nation with this prestigious designation.

The next thing you need to understand is that Goodlad’s organizations are membership driven. This means that at some level there is a payment to cover the membership. From the 2007 tax return for Goodlad’s Institute of Educational Inquiry (IEI), we read on page 16 that the IEI shares employees with the NNER under a “common agenda.” Page 18 reveals the IEI transferred $341,960 to the NNER after it just received 501(c)3 status (even though it has existed since the mid 1980’s). On page 22 the IEI amends its Articles of Incorporation to show a modification of it’s purpose…

“to advance the public democratic purpose of education through inquiry, demonstration, and training projects that engage a variety of national partners–including universities, school districts, and other groups interested in education–in promoting the public purpose of education and the making of a democratic public.”

An example of inquiry based education is constructivist math such as the failed Investigations math program at Alpine School District which the district cannot support with a single study. Other examples also in use around Utah are Everyday math, and Growing with Mathematics.

CITES is the “facilitating arm for the initiatives” of the PSP, a structure which Goodlad helped set up. From the Utah Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst of the state legislature, I have obtained at least a partial trail of funding to CITES from the partnership school districts. The relevant tables are below. The only other information you need to know is that CITES (which is receiving public tax dollars) will not disclose how they use these funds and have stonewalled Senator Margaret Dayton’s attempts to find them out. It is unknown if the PSP is separately receiving funds from the school districts.

Brigham Young University
Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education & Schooling (CITES)
School District Funding to CITES

2008-2009 Funding School District*

District

Local

Federal

Total

Alpine

$ 29,180

$ 12,050

$ 41,230

Jordan

$ 143,698

$ 143,698

Nebo

$ 71,375

Provo

$ 20,000

$ 507,027

$ 527,027

Wasatch

$ 31,250

$ 31,250

Total

$ 227,998

$ 532,527

$ 831,900

2009-2010 Funding

District

Local

Federal

Total

Alpine

$ 29,180

$ 12,050

$ 41,230

Jordan

$ 73,718

$ 73,718

Nebo

$ 71,375

Provo

$ 10,730

$ 380,957

$ 391,687

Wasatch

$ 8,755

$ 8,755

Total

$ 122,383

$ 393,007

$ 568,455

*Note: Information is self‐reported by school districts. No information was included by Nebo SD on their mix of funds

Prepared by Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, 05/2010 PL

The NNER and IEI are membership driven organizations, in other words, membership is not free. Someone has paid for the memberships of these school districts and/or the PSP or CITES themselves. It makes sense that these funds being sent from the 5 PSP districts may in fact have gone toward some form of membership money to John Goodlad’s organizations. What this means is that John Goodlad’s radical anti-family, anti-freedom Agenda has been supported by our public education tax dollars. It has given tremendous credibility to Goodlad’s Agenda to have school districts and universities in “conservative family-values Utah” as members and *leaders* in his organization structure.

If you live in one of the 5 partnership School Districts, I would ask that you contact your school board and ask why they are sending money to CITES which is directed by a John Goodlad scholar. Our teachers and professionals went to school to learn to teach. There is no need for these partnership programs. We should drop them while we are in a down economy and pinching pennies for education. Here is one place to cut right now.

11 Comments

“Social justice is based on the concepts of human rights and equality and involves a greater degree of economic egalitarianism through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or even property redistribution.”

I read a paper from an NNER presentation and learned that “democratic education” means social justice (redistribution of wealth), multiculturalism (which was identified as the driving force behind America’s success) and homosexual rights/advancement/whatever. When we were children we made up things when we played house. ASD leaders want to make up their own definition of democracy to hide their agenda; they must think we’re idiots.
Sue, are the new board members functioning yet?

Not yet. The new board members start in January and serve for 4 years. The next election is in 2 years for the other members. I certainly hope that all of these board members are doing their own research about this information we present and don’t just believe the district or this site. I cannot believe anyone with any brains would be pacified by Rhonda’s “Everything-is-fine-you-can-go-back-to-sleep-now” letter which is now being promoted all over the district through school newsletters. We think that custodians and bus drivers need to be saved? Good grief. Anyone with any critical thinking skills should have picked up that NOT ONE real concern was addressed. It was all made up emotional rhetoric and a repeat of the district goals.

I just came back from a week in California and everyone there I spoke to is beside themselves wondering why so many Utahns don’t see this for what it is. They have been around Progressivism for years, see how it enters and are amazed that this is going on where people are so conservative. Following our leaders and being so trusting should not carry over to the socialist and atheist worldly philosophies of the world.

Public Schools, to survive under the current model of large school districts/large administrations, must use a strong income redistribution model. This is why a school district like ASD is so willing follow the Dewey/Goodlad/Ayers trio down the socialist road. So to survive with its half billion dollar budget intact, ASD must spend their time convincing children and the public that progressive socialism is the only true and moral political philosophy to believe in. Unfortunately in this type of system true academics always is forced to take a back seat to nurturing. (Nurturing is an educational term meaning indoctrination.) In the gospel of Dewey/Goodlad/Ayers, that means nurturing the students in progressive socialism. So in education today it is nurture first, academics second. WHich is why ASD students are in the bottom third internationally in math.

You may ask, “What about BYU? They would never support a socialist program that is in opposition to gospel doctrine.” The LDS prophets have certainly warned the members over the years about the problems associated with socialism and communism. It has been pointed out to the LDS folks that socialism and communism has a dismal and tragic track record. However higher education has been controlled for over 50 years now by progressive socialists. As a result most every person gaining advanced degrees in education and social sciences today have a socialist world view. By embracing the philosophy of Dewey/Goodlad/Ayers, the leaders of the McKay School of education certainly demonstrate they fall in line with the average PhD progressive socialist world view.

Some in ASD might suggest that the BYU support of the Dewey/Goodlad/Ayers trinity means the LDS church has changed positions on socialism and communism. So far there has been no announcement from the pulpit, but it is ironic that David O. McKay, who had a school of education named after him, had a lot to say about the dangers of socialism and communism.

So where does that put us in Utah Valley today? Either these McKay and ASD PhD’s are right and we better start getting with the program or President Mckay was right and we had better stand firm.

Here are just a few quotes from “A Statement On Communism: A statement concerning the position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Communism” by President David O. McKay….

“[Church members] are free to participate in non church meetings that are held to warn people of the threat of Communism or any other theory or principle that will deprive us of our free agency or individual liberties vouchsafed by the Constitution of the United States. The Church, out of respect for the rights of all its members to have their political views and loyalties, must maintain the strictest possible neutrality.”

“The position of this Church on the subject of Communism has never changed. We consider it the greatest satanical threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work among men that exists on the face of the earth.”

“We therefore commend and encourage every person and every group who is sincerely seeking to study Constitutional principles and awaken a sleeping and apathetic people to the alarming conditions that are rapidly advancing about us. We wish all of our citizens throughout the land were participating in some type of organized self-education in order that they could better appreciate what is happening and know what they can do about it.”

“The entire concept and philosophy of Communism is diametrically opposed to everything for which the Church stands…”

“No member of this Church can be true to his faith, nor can any American be loyal to his trust, while lending aid, encouragement, or sympathy to any of these false philosophies; for if he does, they will prove snares to his feet.”

These quotes were taken from a statement by David O. McKay while he was president of the church. He wrote a 39 page book entitled “Statements on Communism and the Constitution of the United States” with much more information about our civil duties to warn the people about these dangers.

When the McKay School of Education, named after this great prophet, starts teaching their students these TRUE gospel principles instead of the worldly philsophies of socialists, communists and atheists whose ideas infiltrated the University 25 years ago when John Goodlad set foot on the campus, we will consider letting this issue go. In the meantime, it is something that we are not only permitted to do by law, but we are required to do by our conscience and by our beliefs.

Those on this website need to educate themselves on Dewey writings and educatinal philosophies! Read Experience and Education. Dewey is NOT socialistic in his views or philosophy. You are contorting and falsely pigeon-holing him as such. Wow! For an “educational website” there sure appear to be alot of liberties being taken, and LDS quotes innapropriately places in opposition to good educators with good intentions, good philosophies, and IMPECCABLE educational reputations (like Dewey). Why not stop use your time to find out your OWN views on education, instead of ollowing these misinformed (irony on an “educational” blog) opinions?

Religious educator: It’s difficult to find out that so much of the education you paid for was a lie to help mislead our youth. The sooner you get the facts straight, the sooner you can correct the path you have been on and help teach the children truth.. There are classes that you can take to learn the history of education and why our public system was set up the way it has been. I have taken these classes and at first I did not want to believe that what they were saying was true, because I knew that we were in deep trouble if it was. However, when I heard it I knew it was in fact true. The sooner we get our educators educated properly, the quicker we can stop the progressive education the children are receiving. Please be a part of correcting the problem, not a part of causing the problem. I hope you don’t fall into the catagory of being too educated to be teachable.

Religious Educator: is “Experience and Education” a book? If so, who is the author? In your fifth sentence, after “and LDS quotes” I can’t find a verb, and am not sure what you’re saying. Find out my own views? I have studied Dewey, and the NNER site to find out for myself. Dewey signed the Humanist Manifesto in part to rid our society of “the opium of the people” (Dewey’s words after Marx). He said the key obstacle to proper education is traditional religion. Religious people practice a “spiritual egotism,…preoccupied with the state of their character, concerned for the purity of their motives and goodness of their souls” (Human Nature and Conduct), and we know for socialists the social good trumps the individual. Dewey never outlined a new method of teaching, only tore down the traditional methods and espoused theories. He said fundamental discoveries “always entail the destruction or disintegration of old knowledge before the new can be created” (Reconstruction in Philosophy). He left others to create the new methods, which is why we see new theories continually cropping up, and being instituted without research to prove their efficacy, but plenty of research, and experience, that show the harm they produce. He espoused “freedom from authority, freedom from the curriculum, [and] freedom from convention” (Democracy and Education). Through play, Dewey saw the “educational value of the activities it involves, and for giving the children the right sort of ideals and ideas about every day life,” and children “will forget to imitate the loud and coarse things they see at home” (Schools of Tomorrow). Whose ideals and ideas are they to learn? He also believed that gender roles were the result of conditioning. I wonder if he ever watched his own children play, if he had any. That’s all I can do for now. Read his “Schools of Tomorrow,” explain it to any parent, and see if that’s what they want for their children. Its horrors are seen in our schools and society today.